I'm still using my first meter for 3 or more years. I've been checking my bs on both fingers and arm to see if there is a big difference and was shocked at the difference.
Then for a test, I check my finger with a 148 result, same stick, new strip test was 129 and again, same blood, 117. There is a huge spread from 148 to 117. Is that normal and I didn't notice before, or is my meter wonky?
I did a check with the test liquid, but the control range is 105-146. That s a big spread too. It checked 137 twice, so that was consistent.
Meters are, unfortunately, allowed a 20% variability and your 117 to 148 is just a tad over that. Having said that, though I have had two meters that I liked, the One Touch and the accu-check and found both in general more reliable than that. I have heard that anywhere other than fingers is not reliable for testing.
I've gone through a couple meters when I started pumping with the medtronic and using the bayer contour link a few months ago. I say that because I had lab work done to test the accuracy of the meter, and as the PP, if the meter was off more greater than 20% it was replaced with a new one (happened to me 2x). Maybe you should go to the lab to have it verified? I only test with my fingers.
Do you think the age of the meter might be a factor? I'm using the contour and I have a lot of strips. I would really want to get a meter that could use the strips I have. Don't know if getting the same meter new would be ok.
I doubt the age of the meter matters too much. Old strips would be a more likely culprit than an old meter I would think. Unfortunately they just aren’t that consistently accurate. I used to stress about that a lot but I’ve kind of come to the realization that its just a fact of life.
